economic development policy

Michigan Future’s latest report looks at Minnesota, the most prosperous state in the region with the lowest unemployment rate, and the public policies that have helped it achieve that status. Below we will release shareable graphics that demonstrate some of the staggering data…

I am a skeptic when it comes to government –– national, state and local –– picking industries –– either old ones to save or new ones to stimulate –– as an effective economic growth strategy. Although it is true most…

Good news. Both Detroit and Grand Rapids are on Forbes list of 15 emerging downtowns across the country. Obviously good news for Michigan's two largest cites. But, more important, its good news for their region's and the state's economy. Why?…

Quite predictably the release of the 2010 Census was accompanied by a chorus of Michigan needs to be like the South admonitions. It happens with nearly every new release of economic and demographic statistics or rankings. But once again the…

Detroit needs a growth agenda. And the rest of us need to support it. There is a clear pattern across the country: the most prosperous states are either rich in energy resources or are anchored by an even more prosperous…

In my last post I recommended that we ask 2010 candidates "what state would Michigan look like if your economic development strategies worked?" The other key question I would ask is "what does Michigan need to look like for your…